Titans (5-7) Look to Rebound Sunday at Denver (10-2)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. --The Tennessee Titans (5-7) play their third consecutive road game this week, traveling to face the Denver Broncos (10-2), who lead the AFC West and own the conference’s best record. Kickoff at Sports Authority Field at Mile High (capacity 76,125) is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. MST/3:05 p.m. CST on Sunday, Dec. 8.

The game marks only the second time the Titans have played a regular-season game at Sports Authority Field, which opened in 2001. Since meeting the Broncos there in 2007, the last two battles have occured at LP Field, including most recently a 17-14 Titans win on Sept. 25, 2011. All-time, the Titans are 21-14-1 in regular-season action against the Broncos, including a 7-8-1 record in the Mile High City.

THE BROADCAST

This week’s game will be televised regionally on CBS, including Nashville affiliate WTVF NewsChannel 5. Jim Nantz will handle play-by-play duties while Phil Simms provides analysis.

The Titans Radio Network, including Nashville flagship 104.5 The Zone, will broadcast the game across the Mid-South with the “Voice of the Titans” Mike Keith, analyst Frank Wycheck, sideline reporter Cody Allison and gameday host Larry Stone.

Additionally, Sports USA will broadcast the game to a national radio audience. Larry Kahn (play-by-play), Doug Plank (analyst) and Troy West (sideline reporter) will have the call.

LAST WEEK AT INDIANAPOLIS

The Titans visited Lucas Oil Stadium last week and fell to the Colts by a final score of 22-14. The Colts used four takeaways from their defense and five field goals by Adam Vinatieri to drop the Titans three games back in the division race and one game behind in the AFC Wild Card hunt.

For more than three quarters, the Titans kept the Colts out of the end zone. But then, with Indianapolis clinging to a one-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, the Titans allowed an 11-play, 92-yard drive that culminated with a four-yard touchdown run by Donald Brown. The score left the Titans in need of a touchdown and two-point conversion, and their last-minute comeback attempt was cut down by the Colts’ third interception of the game.

The Titans lost the game despite recording five sacks on defense and winning several statistical battles, including first downs (24 to 18), total yards (347 to 264) and time of possession (33:55 to 26:06). The Colts were limited to 21 percent (three out of 14) on third down against a Titans defense that only allowed six points off four turnovers by the offense.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick led a pair of 80-yard scoring drives for Tennessee. The first ended with his one-yard touchdown run, and the other culminated with his one-yard touchdown pass to Chris Johnson. Fitzpatrick was starting his third consecutive game since Jake Locker was lost for the season with a foot injury.

THE BRONCOS

The Broncos and Chiefs were knotted atop the AFC West before squaring off in Kansas City last week, but five touchdown passes by Peyton Manning helped the Broncos to a 35-28 victory and a firm hold on the division. The Chiefs have lost three straight games, and two of those losses have been at the hands of the Broncos.

Manning totaled 403 passing yards against the Chiefs to bring his season total to 4,125, the most passing yards in NFL history through the first 12 games of a season. The former University of Tennessee signal caller now has at least 4,000 passing yards in 13 of his 16 seasons, another NFL record.

At Kansas City, four of Manning’s touchdown passes went to wide receiver Eric Decker, who totaled a career-high 174 receiving yards in the game.

The Chiefs rallied late and nearly forced overtime, but a fourth-down incompletion into the end zone with less than two minutes remaining left them helpless as the Broncos ran out the clock for the win.

Broncos head coach John Fox has not roamed the sidelines since Oct. 27, missing four games after undergoing successful aortic valve replacement surgery on Nov. 4. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio stepped in as interim head coach in Fox’s absence. However, the organization announced last week that Fox would return to his duties as the team prepares for the Titans. Fox is in his 12th year as a head coach in the NFL and his third with the Broncos.